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At the Cabrini Leadership Academy, BY MADELINE PISTORIUS GIRLS LEARN TO LEAD
10 SEPTEMBER 2026 | NOLAFAMILY.COM What made the Leadership Academy different was that the girls weren’t just the school hoped to inspire through its inagural Cabrini Leadership Academy, which was held June 1–5. The weeklong program brought together rising seventh-grade girls from schools throughout the area for a chance to explore what leadership can look like—and how they can begin developing their own leadership skills as they head into their final year of grammar school and eventually high school. W hen a rising seventh-grade girl was recently asked to serve as a coun- selor at her school’s Vacation Bible School, her mom noticed a big change. Just two weeks earlier, the girl had completed Cabrini High School’s inaugural Leadership Academy. Before the program, speaking in front of a crowd would have been out of her comfort zone. Now, she was confidently leading younger children, sharing her testimony, and helping guide them throughout camp. Anne DiPaola, a Cabrini staff member who helped bring the program to life, shared that story as one example of the confidence
learning from adults. While Cabrini faculty and staff provided guidance and support, the program was planned and led completely by current Cabrini students. Student leaders involved in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, faith, and service created presentations, led small- group discussions, and organized hands-on activities based on their own interests and experiences. Throughout the week, they showed participants that leadership doesn’t have to look just one way. “Leadership comes very naturally to Cabrini because we were founded by a Catholic businesswoman who also happened to be a nun,” DiPaola says. “This idea of leadership comes from our core values of who we are and what we thread through every fabric of school life here.” The girls explored leadership through a variety of topics throughout the week. They learned about personal branding, practiced public speaking, and explored academics and study skills. They also got to use Cabrini’s state-of-the-art Anatomage table, a 3D virtual anatomy and medical education tool, with the help of student leaders interested in pursuing careers in medicine.
Leadership also took center stage through athletics and extracurricular activities, with participants hearing from student athletes and members of Cabrini’s drama company. The week also included a focus on faith- based leadership before wrapping up with a service project, where the girls worked together to make 100 sandwiches for a local food pantry. Throughout the week, the participants were encouraged to put their new skills into practice. They presented their own academic and extracurricular interests and took on leadership roles during the final service project, dividing up responsibilities and working together to get the job done. For DiPaola, the experience was a power- ful reminder of what can happen when young women are given the confidence and opportunity to step forward and be bold. “When you give a young girl the runway to be all who God intended her to be, it is truly awe-inspiring,” she says. Sometimes, all it takes is one person—or a group of student leaders—to believe in her first.
For more information about Cabrini and the Leadership Academy, visit cabrinihigh.com.
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